A Very Customary New Year Trivia Quiz

Answer: Spain

I think it's probably best to try this with small grapes. Each one is supposed to represent good luck for one of the months of the coming year. If a grape tastes bitter, then watch out for that month - you may have problems then. The more seeds you spit out in the process, the richer you will be, so you'd better avoid seedless grapes or you could be very impecunious!

This tradition takes place in many South and Central American countries, too.

Answer: Denmark

It doesn't have to be a chair: a ladder or a step will probably do. But it does have to be done at midnight, so that you literally jump into the new year. The Danes also celebrate with a large meal, usually eaten with friends, and fireworks, some during the evening, but mostly after midnight.

The Brazilians also jump at New Year, but they do it in the sea, ideally jumping over seven waves while making seven wishes.

Answer: Greece

The coins are baked into a loaf of bread to honour St. Basil, whose feast day is 1st January. The loaf is called a vasilopita, and is scored with the sign of the cross at midnight, then cut into slices and served according to age.

One story gives the origin as a way for St. Basil to give alms to the poor.
Another ascribes it to a collection for a ransom to end the siege of Caesarea, which so impressed the besiegers that they returned the ransom; it was impossible to know who gave what to the collection, so it was all baked into loaves of bread to be shared by the citizens; miraculously everyone received back what they had given.

Similar loaves, or cakes, are baked in other eastern European countries, too.

Answer: Finland

Tin horseshoes are melted down and dropped into a bucket of water, with the resulting shapes foretelling the fortunes of the year ahead. It needs to be done quickly to make sure the metal stays in one piece; if the metal breaks then bad luck is on the way. A smooth, shiny surface on the metal predicts good fortune and peace, while a rougher surface indicates prosperity. A ring indicates a wedding is on the way, a star prophesies good fortune, a ship or horse augurs travel, and a pig suggests that there will be plenty of food during the year ahead.

The Finns also celebrate with food, drink and fireworks.

Answer: Philippines

Roundness is an indicator of future prosperity, so twelve round fruits should be eaten, one for each month of the year; ideally each fruit should be different. Round coins in pockets, and polka dots on clothes are also good to have.

Just before midnight, all doors (including cupboards) and windows should be opened to let the good luck in. Activities on New Year's Day set the tone for the coming year, so all house work should be done beforehand, and none on the day itself. It's not wise to spend money either, if you want a frugal year ahead. As well as having fireworks, pots and pans are crashed together to scare away any evil spirits.

Answer: Ireland

Throwing bread against the wall is said to welcome the good spirits and banish the evil ones for another year. Another custom is that an unmarried girl should sleep with a sprig of mistletoe under her pillow. A dark haired man being first to enter the house after 31st December should bring good luck, but a red-headed woman is said to bring bad luck.

Other throwing traditions at New Year include throwing old furniture out of the window in parts of South Africa, throwing old crockery at the front doors of peoples houses in some European countries, and throwing buckets of water out of a window in parts of Central America. All are supposed to bring good luck, but probably not if you happen to be in the firing line!

Answer: Colombia

This is also a tradition in some other South American countries. Carrying a suitcase or bag around the street, or just in and out of your front door, signifies travel in the year ahead.

Other South American traditions include sleeping with departed family members at the cemetery in Chile. Many places also have a custom of burning effigies called Muņecos, which often bear a similarity to an unpopular politician.

Answer: Estonia

Seven is a lucky number in Estonia, but sometimes nine or twelve meals are eaten. Each meal is supposed to give one more strength in the coming year. No meal should be finished, though, some food should be left for the ancestors' spirits who might visit. Nor should any meat from a bird be served - the good fortune might fly away! However, sauerkraut is good, as is marzipan for dessert.

Marzipan is also popular in Germany and Austria, particularly when shaped like a pig.

Answer: Japan

Buddhists believe that there are one hundred and eight desires which cause suffering, so the bells in the temples are rung that many times to get rid of those desires; the custom is known as Joya no Kane. The bells start before midnight, and last stroke should occur just after the New Year.

Other Japanese traditions at New year include eating long noodles to symbolise a long life, and sending postcards, called nengajo, to arrive on New Year's Day. The Japanese also decorate the outside of their homes with a pot filled with plum, bamboo and pine, called kadomatsu, as a symbol of prosperity for the coming year.

Answer: Canada

As a non-Canadian, I think of the Polar Bear Swim taking place in Vancouver, where the tradition was started in 1920 by Peter Pantages; nearly a hundred years later there are usually over 2000 participants. However there are other places in Canada which hold similar events at New Year. In Scheveningen in the Netherlands around 10000 people take part in the annual Nieuwjaarsduik, or New Year's Dive.

Similar events take place in other parts of the world, although not necessarily at New Year. In the United Kingdom there is a tradition of swimming on Boxing Day (26th December). Swimmers in New Zealand favour a day towards the end of June near their winter solstice.